The latest in health, medicine and technology

Monthly Archives: February 2018

New research shows that most people with ADHD have a disordered body clock, prompting disturbed sleep, sleep deprivation, and a worsening of ADHD symptoms. Experts discuss how fixing the body clock could lessen the impact of both ADHD and physical diseases that result from poor sleep.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

A real-life version of the Star Trek Tricorder, a non-invasive remote medical diagnostic machine, has won a major contest after passing multiple tests. Now it faces FDA scrutiny to go onto the market. Its developer discusses what the device is and how it could be used.

Over the years, the number of diagnoses of ADHD have skyrocketed, not only in children, but adults, as well. But recent research shows that some of these individuals suffering from ADHD could actually just be suffering from a disordered body clock. Dr. Vatsal Thakkar, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine and CEO of Reimbursify, explains that any disruption of sleep can lead to cognitive problems, mood and anxiety issues, and a number of physical health complications, too. If this lack of sleep is persistent for years, one could develop ADHD-like symptoms.

So, what causes this inability to sleep? Dr. Sandra Kooij, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Free University Amsterdam Medical Center, states that it is often an issue with the biological clock. The body relies on light and brightness to know when to wake up, and darkness to know when to sleep, but if this system is off, an individual is not capable of sleeping until later than normal.

Most people enjoy to sleep because it helps them to focus better throughout the day, but falling asleep can be a daunting task for those with sleeping disorders. Dr. Kooij explains a few simple tasks that could help get the biological clock back on track and reduce the impact of ADHD in a variety of people.

Guests:

Dr. Vatsal Thakkar, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine and CEO of Reimbursify

Most people have seen sci-fi shows and films like Star Wars and Star Trek, and been amused by the imagined technology used by these beings. Dr. Basil Harris, emergency physician at Lankenau Medical Center and founder of Final Frontier Medical Devices, took this inspiration one step further by actually creating one of these devices. His machine called DxtER is similar to the Tricorder from Star Trek; it is a non-invasive remote medical diagnostic technology.

With this device, patients are given a whole new way to measure their health. Part of the appeal of DxtER is the non-invasiveness of the technology. Dr. Basil explains that the iPad based technology is packed with sensors that can measure vitals in the body, like blood pressure, without having to use a cuff or other external objects to test the patient. Not only is the device capable of picking up on vitals, it can also provide the user with a diagnosis based off of their symptoms. It uses artificial intelligence in order to incorporate the doctor into the system.

However, Dr. Harris does not believe that the device calls for the elimination of doctors entirely. He explains that DxtER was created as a tool that can help people work with their providers more efficiently. But before this device can be made common in household first aid kits, it must be FDA approved which Dr. Harris expects to be a slow process that could take from five to ten years. With many emerging technologies in healthcare, devices like DxtER must work to gain the trust of the public.

The United States is in the middle of its worst flu season in nine years. And millions of us have gone to the doctor for a five day Tamiflu treatment after we’ve gotten sick. But a Japanese drug maker says its come up with a treatment that can make people better in just one day and one dose. The Wall Street Journal reports on clinical trials showing the drug is three times faster than any anti-flu drug now on the market. However, it won’t be available in the U.S. until at least next year.

Scientists have zeroed in on what causes many cases of colitis and chronic inflammatory bowel disease, what most people call the 24-hour stomach flu. In reality that’s usually a case of food poisoning, not the flu, and it happens more often than we think. A study in the journal Science shows that if a person keeps getting intestinal upsets often enough it can create a deficiency in an enzyme in the gut prompting severe, permanent problems.

And finally, people who are tall have a whole variety of advantages but in at least one respect being short is good for your health. A study in the journal Circulation Cardiovascular Genetics shows that short people are much less likely to develop blood clots in the veins-the third leading cause of heart attack and stroke. Scientists say that women who are 5 feet 1 or less are nearly 70 percent less likely to have a blood clot compared to women who are 6 feet or taller. Researchers aren’t sure why, it may simply be the affects of gravity on longer veins.

New research shows that most people with ADHD have a disordered body clock, prompting disturbed sleep, sleep deprivation, and a worsening of ADHD symptoms. Experts discuss how fixing the body clock could lessen the impact of both ADHD and physical diseases that result from poor sleep.

A Real-Life Star Trek Tricorder

A real-life version of the Star Trek Tricorder, a non-invasive remote medical diagnostic machine, has won a major contest after passing multiple tests. Now it faces FDA scrutiny to go onto the market. Its developer discusses what the device is and how it could be used.

The causes of stuttering have long remained a mystery. Over time, people have been led to believe that stuttering can be caused by psychological issues or develop due to parenting style. But, experts are discovering that these beliefs may not be true. Recent research has started to develop the idea that stuttering is actually caused by a structural problem in the brain.

Dr. Scott Grafton, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at University of California, Santa Barbara explains that diffusion MRI scanning has been used in research to discover that a large portion of the arcuate fasciculus was missing in seven of the eight stutterers, but it was present in all of the non-stutterers. The arcuate fasciculus connects two parts of the brain that allow for language function, so if these parts of the brain are not connected, an individual’s ability to perform classic language functions can be affected.

Another cause of stuttering in speech is related to issues of perception. Dr. Devin McAuley, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Michigan State University states that individuals who have a difficult time discerning musical beats may also have a hard time picking up on natural speech rhythms, too. This inability to perceive beats may induce a stutter in an individual because they are not capable of timing their speech due to an issue in generating natural rhythms of language.

How can these new discoveries help doctors develop new treatments for those who suffer from a stutter? Dr. Roger Ingham, Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at University of California, Santa Barbara explains one new method of altering speech. It is called modifying phonation intervals (MPI) which is a treatment that trains people to reduce the frequency of very short intervals of phonation in order to create fluent speech. While MPI treatment works about twice as well as other speaking treatments, there is still plenty of research to be done in order to increase the effectiveness of treatments for stutters.

Guests:

Dr. Roger Ingham, Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Scott Grafton, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Devin McAuley, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Michigan State University

We all want to be happy yet the American culture appears to be experiencing a joy-deficit. While it is well known that some individuals suffer from a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects their ability to be happy, many people are not aware of the fact that they can change the happiness that they feel by creating it on their own.

Seeking joy is an important aspect of human life. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness and Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy But Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy But Does explains that Americans have the opportunity to experience joy everyday, but many are overlooking the small ways to feel it. She believes that people spend too much time waiting for big moments, rather than taking advantage of the little moments to experience joy.

So, what can a person do to feel more joy? Dr. Alex Korb, neuroscientist at University of California, Los Angeles and author, The Upward Spiral: Using Neural Science to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change At a Time states that it is possible for people to increase their serotonin levels on their own and provides a few ways, such as sitting in the sunlight, remembering positive memories, and partaking in simple exercises. Just by partaking in some of these activities, people have the possibility to experience a little more joy in their daily lives.

Guests:

Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at University of California-Riverside and author of The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want and Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy But Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, But Does

Dr. Alex Korb, researcher at University of California, Los Angeles and author of The Upward Spiral: Using Neural Science to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change At a Time